Aurora Nights
by opalheart12
Summary: Nobody ever thought that one girl would change the entire wizarding world. Harry Potter is destined to defeat the Dark Lord but will he be enough? is there someone else who can save them? Someone the wizarding world doesn't even know?
1. Pleasant Introductions

Aurora Winters had been home schooled in magic for the better part of her life. But she was not like others. You could tell that by just looking at her. It was not a bad thing. In fact, for the time they were going through most people considered it very strange. But she didn't. It was good to have an optimistic outlook on life at it's particular point in time. By the age of 15, Aurora had decided she wanted to go a real wizarding school. So, with a little help from her Aunt Emma, she wrote a letter to Dumbledore asking if she could be allowed to attend Hogwarts for the remainder of her schooling. He'd sent back a reply saying that she was most definitely welcome and that she could arrive 2 weeks earlier than the other students to get used to the castle and get sorted and settled. Upon receiving Dumbledore's reply, Aurora and her aunt went to Diagon Alley to buy her school supplies and robes.

And that is what brought her to be sitting in Dumbledore's office. Aunt Emma had bid her several farewells before Aurora told her she would be fine and that she should get back home. "Good morning, Aurora." Dumbledore said, smiling his smile that made you think of a grandfather. "Good morning, sir. How has your morning been thus far?" Aurora replied softly. Her voice was soft and dreamy, giving you a trancelike feeling when she spoke. "It has gone fairly well, thank you. I believe we should get you sorted, else it would pose a great difficulty in terms of where you would sleep tonight." He said, chuckling slightly. Aurora laughed very softly along with him. It was like an angel's kiss. "I believe you are right, sir." She then replied. Dumbledore rose from his chair and picked up the Sorting Hat from its place atop a bookshelf.

He paced it on her head and stood a few feet away as it began to speak. "Not like others, are you? Optimistic. The voice of reason and understanding, though others may not always see things the way you do. You are very courageous and headstrong when the time requires it. The bravery of a Gryffindor. The intelligence of a Ravenclaw. The kindness of a Hufflepuff. The tenacity of a Slytherin. But where to put you? To put you anywhere would suit you. I believe I've made my decision. Ravenclaw!" The hat said. Aurora smiled and gave the hat back to Dumbledore. "Congratulations, Aurora. Since you will be a 5th year you'll be staying in the 5th year girl's dormitory in Ravenclaw Tower. The dormitories are located on the west side of the school. The password must be the answer to a logical riddle." Aurora smiled, bade Dumbledore farewell, and headed off to her new home.

When she came to the portrait of a willowy woman who seemed to be reading a book, she knew she was in the right place. "What can follow you during the day but not at night?" the woman in the portrait asked. "A shadow." Aurora replied simply. The portrait swung open, revealing the most marvelous thing she'd ever seen. The common room was round and filled with blue hangings and fat armchairs, had a domed ceiling painted with stars, and a statue of Rowena Ravenclaw wearing a diadem upon her head. It was beautiful, just the type of place Aurora would fit into. And she had the entire tower to herself. She walked upstairs to her dormitory and unpacked her things. When she was done, she sat on the window, enjoying the most beautiful view of the mountains, and began reading Hogwarts: A History.

The evening came quickly and as soon as she saw the sun setting, Aurora made her way down to the Great Hall. It was bare, save for the staff members that were there. Her eyes wandered across the Head Table as she became facially familiar with the professors. One was a very severe looking woman whose hair was pulled back into a tight bun and had horn rimmed glasses on her face. The way she surveyed the whole made Aurora think of an owl. Another was a man who was tall and had greasy black hair and sallow, pale skin. His eyes were deep and black and he gave the impression of a bat. There was also a short rather plump looking lady who looked as if she'd just battled with the trees and the dirt. Her hair seemed like it was caught in a permanent wind.

"Good evening, professors." Aurora said politely, bowing slightly, before taking a seat at one of the long tables that ran through the hall. "Good evening, Aurora. There is an empty seat if you wish to sit here." Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling. "I would like that very much, Professor, thank you." Aurora got up and walked, or danced as it appeared to those who were watching her, gracefully up to the High Table. She sat down in between Dumbledore and the greasy haired man. "May I introduce to you, Aurora Winters. She will be attending Hogwarts for the duration of her magical schooling." Dumbledore said to the staff members.

They all introduced themselves and bade their greetings. "Sitting next to you is Professor Severus Snape. He is the Potions Master here at Hogwarts." Dumbledore explained. Aurora stuck out her hand. "It's so nice to meet you, professor. I'm sure you're class will be a very interesting thing to experience. I personally find the art of Potions to be a very fascinating one." Aurora said. The way her voice sounded, like a soft feather across the skin, made Severus forget his cold demeanor and thus he stuck his hand out to hers, shaking it. "I'm glad at least one student thinks so." He muttered. Aurora let out a laugh that sounded like wind chimes blowing in the Scottish countryside breeze. It was safe to say that the professors were immediately charmed by her. Dinner was a slow but very interesting affair.

"It's simply horrifying. Dolores Umbridge teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts? The students will learn absolutely nothing with that old toad here. Voldemort has returned and all Fudge can think about is if Dumbledore's building his own army here. These times…they are a true discouragement for us." Professor McGonagall complained. "Indeed, they are. There is just no peace for us, is there? Everything is going to get worse, I tell you." A short man with a white beard said. Aurora remembered him introducing himself as Filius Flitwick, the head of her house. "Perhaps you shouldn't look at it in that manner." Aurora said. The entire hall grew silent. "Whatever do you mean, Aurora?" Professor McGonagall asked. Aurora bit her lip a little, a thing usually did before speaking.

""All these things happen for a reason." Aurora said as she looked at each staff member. Dumbledore looked at her curiously. "Why do you say that?" McGonagall shot at her. She smiled a soft smile, not mocking or condescending, just soft. "These things, everything you and the rest of the wizarding world are going through is for a reason. I believe these things happen to show you the true meaning of life, to show you what you have and that you have to appreciate what you have in this time. Maybe there's just evil in the world to show you how really valuable life is and that material things don't matter. Maybe evil is just a way to make us acknowledge what really matters in life and what we're really made of. Bad times bring out the best in people, show their true colors. Perhaps a man you may have never trusted might save your life or sacrifice himself for you. Perhaps a man you always trusted might betray you or sacrifice you for himself. You can never know. But you have to have a little faith that maybe there _is_ something better…than this. Maybe there _are_ better times than this. You cannot always look at times like this and think negatively, because negativity is what keeps you from getting through it all."

The entire staff stared at her, stunned at her speech. "That is a very interesting way to look at it." Dumbledore pointed out. "Indeed it is. Tell me, Aurora, what is your opinion on the Ministry of Magic?" McGonagall asked. Aurora smiled before she began speaking. "The Ministry has heir own problems. It isn't all bad just because Cornelius Fudge makes it so. One bad apple isn't going to ruin the whole basket. There are so many others within the Ministry that would do a better job. But nobody can trust the Ministry any longer because of the person representing it. Let us say, for instance, that Voldemort decides to infiltrate the Ministry, fill it with people who can help him take over the magical world through the very people they trust the must. There have to be people there who fight against it, refuse to let it happen, stop it. Is Cornelius Fudge an idiot? Yes, he is. Is the entire Ministry of Magic horrible? No." The staff were once again shocked but were more intrigued by Aurora than anything else. "You are indeed a very opinionate person, aren't you?" a sickly sweet voice said.

Aurora's gaze shifted to the doors of the Great Hall. There stood a toad of a woman who wore a pink dress that seemed as if it was cutting off her circulation along with a very ugly cardigan and matching shoes, all pink. "Yes. I am. We haven't had the pleasure of meeting. I'm Aurora Winters. Are you by any chance Professor Umbridge? The new DADA teacher?" Aurora said, smiling at the woman. "Yes. I am. Are you a student here?" she asked.

Umbridge's voice was so sickeningly sweet, it would easily give a person diabetes. "Yes, Professor, I am." Aurora replied. Umbridge smiled like she knew something no one else did. "Really? Then, why, pray tell, are you sitting at the Head Table and why are you here 2 weeks earlier than the other students?" Dumbledore was about ready to answer but Aurora beat him to it. "I am a late transfer. Professor Dumbledore told me I could come 2 weeks earlier to get acquainted with the castle, the staff, and the surroundings." Umbridge could think of nothing to say back to the girl so she said something else. "I'm sure Cornelius will want to know all about this." She squeaked. McGonagall rolled her eyes and sighed. "Is there something you'd like to say?" Umbridge squeaked, her voice so annoyingly high pitched. "Several." McGonagall replied listlessly, as if she was not even listening to what the woman was saying. "Now, Professors, there is a lot of time for snide remarks and witty comebacks. But now, I believe, we should head off to bed. A pity it would be to have lethargic professors, yes?" Aurora said. "Yes, I believe so. Let us all turn in." Dumbledore said before he got up and walked out of the Hall.


	2. It Was You

The next day, Aurora was summoned to Professor Dumbledore's office. "Good evening, sir." She said when she entered his office. He smiled at her and gestured for her to sit down. "So wonderful of you to join me here this very fine evening. I have a favor to ask of you." Aurora sat up straighter in her chair. "Of course, sir." She replied.

Dumbledore sighed quickly, facing the window before turning to her. "I wonder…perhaps….but then…Aurora, my dear, would you mind coming to Grimmauld Place tonight? 6 other Hogwarts students are staying there, 4 within the same family. One of them is Harry Potter. I would hate for you to be here alone for the next 2 weeks without other students here to keep you company." Aurora smiled.

"I would love that, Professor. When should I be ready?" Dumbledore sighed in relief. "Would a half hour be too much trouble?" Aurora shook her head. "Not at all. I'll be ready in 20 minutes." And with that, Aurora headed back to Ravenclaw Tower. She kept her school robes in her drawers but packed her muggle clothing, her diary, and her other possessions. Within her provided 20 minutes, she was done packing and was in front of the Great Hall quickly. Dumbledore arrived 5 minutes after she did. "And now, Aurora, I believe we have a journey to be getting on with."

~&~

They arrived from within the suffocating nothingness to Grimmauld Place. Dumbledore twisted the doorknob and the door swung open, revealing a small dark hallway. From what Aurora could see it looked as if nobody had lived in it in years. There was a troll's leg in the hallway which contained many a troll umbrellas inside of it, though it was knocked over as if someone had tripped over it. The hall was barely lit, a few candles along the way. There were a lot of doors and a staircase at the end of the hall that could have led anywhere. Aurora could hear voice, though where from she had no clue.

One rather large door at the end of the hallway opened to reveal a plump looking woman with fiery red hair who looked as if she'd been yelling quite a bit. "You must be Aurora. It's so lovely to finally meet you. I'm Molly Weasley but you can call me Molly." Aurora smiled upon meeting the woman. "It's wonderful to meet you, too, Mrs. Weasley." Molly smiled back at her and hugged her. "Dinner will be ready after the meeting, I'm afraid. But the kids are all upstairs. Third floor. First door on the right." Mrs. Weasley said. Aurora began walking up stairs with her bag across her shoulder.

When Aurora arrived to the first door on the right on the third floor and heard voices coming from behind the door, she sighed inwardly, not knowing who it was that waited behind it. She fixed her eyes with a steady determination and turned the handle on the door. It swung open slowly, revealing 3 teenaged people sitting on separate beds. One was tall and gangly and had fiery red her with a more than generous smattering of freckles on his face and was sitting on the edge of the bed closest to the window. Next to him was an average height girl whose hair looked just the slightest bit bushy and untamed. Her front teeth looked a little, if barely, oversized. The other was a tall boy with deep emerald green eyes and had untidy jet black hair. Above his right eye, however, was a thin lightening shaped scar. He, too, looked as if he'd been yelling.

"Hello. I hope I wasn't interrupting anything. I'm Aurora Winters." Aurora said, smiling softly at them. The girl was the first to move from her place on the bed. "I'm Hermione Granger. This is Ron Weasley," she indicated the redheaded boy next to her. "And this is Harry Potter." She finished. Harry waited wit baited breath, trying to see what Aurora would do when she figured out who he was. Most people recognized him on sight. "It's nice to meet you all. I think I just met your mother downstairs." Aurora smiled pointing at Ron before pointing back at the stairs.

Ron cracked a small grin. "Red hair? Looks like she's been yelling? Short and kind of fat?" "RONALD!" Hermione whispered furiously before hitting him on the forehead. "What?" he whispered back. Hermione gave him a look that silenced him. "Yes, I believe that was her. Is it alright if I sit down?" Aurora asked, a lingering smile on her face as usual. "Of course. I'm Harry. Harry Potter. But then you would know that because Hermione told you who I was and that's how you…we…I…er..yeah." Harry stuttered.

To be truthful, Harry was blown away when the door opened revealing a girl he'd never seen before. Her hair was a long and slightly wavy sea of dark brown, almost black, hair that cascaded down to her waist and curled at the tips. Her eyes were a soft grey blue. She was obviously shorter than Harry but probably an inch or so taller than Hermione. She wore a pair of blue skinny jeans and a red jacket wit a black tank top on underneath. She was beautiful. Harry tried his best to look welcoming but he didn't think Aurora noticed.

"Hello, Harry." Aurora said in her soft voice before sitting down on the bed next to Harry. She kicked off her Converse and stretched out on the right next to Harry, her head resting on his knee. She barely knew him yet but he seemed like a very nice a guy. His slight sharp intake of breath when she did this went unnoticed by Aurora. "Do you go to Hogwarts?" Ron asked. It was then that Aurora divulged her story as to how she came to be attending Hogwarts.

"So you'll be a 5th year just like us. We're in Gryffindor." Aurora's eyes mirrored slight confusion. "Gryffindor is good, right?" Hermione smiled and being the walking history book she was, told Aurora a shortened history of Hogwarts and its houses. Within an hour they'd become something like friends. "Dinner's ready!" a voice yelled up the stairs. "We should probably go." Harry said quietly. Ron and Aurora walked ahead of him and Hermione pulled Harry back by his arm. "You like her, don't you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Harry shook his head. "Of course not. I barely even know her. We should go." Hermione smiled knowingly. "Only because I'm hungry am I dropping this subject." And the two walked downstairs to the dining room.

There were a fair bit of people at dinner. Aurora could identify the entire Weasley family by their hair and the fact that they seemed to take up most of the dinner table. At the other end of the table, to the right of Harry, was a man Ron had introduced a few moment earlier as Sirius Black. Next to him was Remus Lupin. He was a man who looked tired and old for his age. Flecks of gray littered his head and he looked like he could use a good nap. Next to him was a woman with bubblegum pink hair and amused brown eyes. She was changing different parts of her face, much to Hermione and Ginny Weasley's amusement. On her right was a tall dark skinned man with an earring in his left ear. Kingsley Shacklebolt. And in a rather dark corner of the room was a tall broad shouldered man who had messy tangled looking blonde hair. It appeared as if a large chunk had been taken out of his nose. Scars marred his face and his left eye whizzed around and around in its socket. Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody It made Aurora the slightest bit sick. Dumbledore had left at some point during the meeting so Ron stood and introduced her.

"This is Aurora Winters, everyone. She's just got accepted to Hogwarts and she'll be a fifth year Ravenclaw." He said. Aurora stood and bowed respectively. "It's lovely to meet all of you. Mr. Black, you're Harry's godfather, right?" Aurora asked. Sirius let out a great bark of a laugh. "Mr. Black is my father. You can call me Sirius." Aurora smiled and nodded her head. They began to eat dinner until the table got deathly quiet. Aurora, who was usually aware of her surroundings, hadn't noticed what had caused the sudden silence. "Show him. He'll find out soon enough." Mad-Eye said, his voice sounding like crackling firewood. Sirius reluctantly handed Harry the Daily Prophet newspaper. There on the front cover was Harry's face with the caption "The Boy Who Lies?" It consisted of an article that questioned his and Dumbledore's statements that Voldemort has returned. Harry read the article, looking thoroughly disgusted by every word.

"He's been attacking Dumbledore as well. He's been attacking Dumbledore as well. Fudge is using all his power, including his influence at the Daily Prophet, to smear anyone who claims the Dark Lord has returned." Sirius explained. "Why?" Lupin took point here. "The Minister thinks Dumbledore's after his job." Harry's eyes turned incredulous. "But that's insane. No one in their right mind could believe that Dumbledore—" "Exactly the point. Fudge isn't in his right mind. It's been twisted and warped by fear." Remus interrupted. Aurora put a calming hand on Harry's arm before she began to speak. "Now fear makes people do terrible things, Harry. The last time Voldemort gained power he almost destroyed everything we hold most dear. Now he's returned and I'm afraid the Minister will do almost anything to avoid facing that terrifying truth." The entire table looked shocked at her. Lupin nodded, agreeing with what she'd said. Sirius swallowed hard.

"We think Voldemort wants to build up his army again." Everyone turned to Sirius, waiting for him to continue. "Fourteen years ago he had huge numbers at his command, not only witches and wizards but all manner of dark creatures. He's been recruiting heavily and we've been attempting to do the same. But gathering followers isn't the only thing he's interested in." Moody coughed loudly, perhaps to stop Sirius from saying anything more. But Sirius did not stop there. "We believe Voldemort may be after something. Something he didn't have last time." Harry looked intrigued now. "You mean, like a weapon." Aurora listened on with rapt attention but felt as if she needed to say something.

"Sirius, we thank you wholeheartedly for the information you've provided us. However, I don't think Harry needs to know the whole story. He's just a boy. If you tell him anything else he may as well be inducted into the Order of the Phoenix straight away." Aurora said gently. Dumbledore had explained to her what the Order was earlier. "Good, I want to join." Aurora sighed. "Harry—" "No. If Voldemort's raising an army, then I want to fight." Sirius smirked as if he knew this was what Harry wanted. Aurora sighed again, a little less loudly.

"Harry, I know who you are. I now what you've done. And I would think that having your fair share of trouble and heartache would be enough to stop you here. Voldemort is a very powerful wizard. He isn't the type of person you can just walk up to and hope to destroy. He. Will. Kill. You. And have no second thought of doing it. Think, Harry. Voldemort expects you to go on the frontline. He knows you make impulsive decisions. Especially when the ones you love are danger. And, Harry, there's a war coming. It's going to be bad. At least 5 people sitting at this table will die in the war. And I'm almost certain that one of them could be you if you don't think clearly. He expects you not to think clearly, to be irrational. Thus, you must prove him wrong. I know what Voldemort is like. I've had to face him before." Aurora said quietly.

Harry looked at her, confused. "What do you mean 'You've had to face Voldemort before'?" He asked. Aurora looked away. "Excuse me." She said before she got up from the table and ran silently up the stairs, tears brimming in her eyes. "What did I do?" Harry asked, puzzled. "Harry, she cares about your wellbeing. She just wants you to be safe." Hermione replied. "Wait a second." Sirius cut in. Everyone looked over at him. Sirius looked at Remus.

"Winters. Wasn't there a girl who went to school with us whose last name was Winters? Marietta, I believe?" Remus nodded. "Yes, I think so. She was a Ravenclaw. She married a man named Rudolphus Langley but he left her before she had her child and died a few months after that." Harry watched the exchange, a curious gleam in his eyes. "So, this Marietta girl, she is Aurora's mother?" Remus nodded sadly. "Was. She died 14 years ago. It was about a month before your parents did, Harry. She had a one year old child at the time. Voldemort apparently used the Cruciatus curse on Marietta and the child. He tortured Marietta to death and left, forgetting about the child. It was at least a week before anyone found them."

Everyone at the table looked horrified. Even Harry. His parents only had the Killing Curse on them. They didn't have to go through so much pain. And the fact that Aurora had been given the Cruciatus curse? She was only a child. Only a child. And that put more hatred in Harry's heart for Voldemort than he ever thought possible, more than the hate that already filled him for his parent's deaths, more than his hatred of the Dursley's, more than his hatred for Draco Malfoy. Only a child. A one year old. It was terrifying. How could Voldemort have stood there and watched a baby in pain? It was horrible to even think of.

"Marietta was buried in Rowena Way, a small wizarding community a few miles west of Godric's Hollow. She had no family, though. They were all in separate places or dead." Tears bit at the back of everyone's eyes. Harry couldn't imagine dying alone with no one who loved you and no one to be there for you when you died. It was a sad thing to think about. And Harry vowed to himself that he would stick around Aurora as long as he could. He didn't want her to die alone or die at all. He wanted to make sure that she never felt or was alone, that she had people who loved her. Because after all, to not be alone was a hard thing to come by now.

**A/N: **_**If you're liking this so far (I hope you are) stick around and read more and drop a few reviews. It would really make my day.**_


	3. Revelations

That night, Aurora had a dream, a dream she most frequently had almost all her life. She was sitting down on a beach and it was nighttime. The sand reflected off the moon, making it look white gray. The water seemed black and endless as the waves crashed against her feet. She dug her feet deeper into the cool sand, hoping against reality that she could stay here, in this world, forever. But she knew she couldn't.

"Why are you so sad, Aurora?" A soft sweet voice, almost identical to Aurora's, said from beside her. She looked up and saw her mother standing there the way she always saw her. She wore a white dress with thin spaghetti straps on it. It reached down to her knees and her auburn hair was hanging slightly up. Her blue eyes seemed sad and hopeful at the same time. "I don't know, mother. I just…I miss you so much but I hardly even know you."

Her mother sighed and bent down to sit next to her, putting a comforting arm around her shoulder. "Aurora, this war has brought a lot of pain. But it can also bring a lot of joy. If you let it." Her mother said to her. Aurora looked away from her mother, staring out at the black waves. "I don't have anyone, mother, not a single soul. Dad died before I was even born. You're not here. Who else do I have?" Aurora asked, tears streaming down her face. Marietta sighed. "You have them, Aurora." Aurora looked back at her mother, confusion on her face. "I barely even know them. They're nothing to me. They're not my family, they're not you."

The tone of Aurora's voice was almost sad, forlorn. Marietta nodded her head slowly. "I know that, sweetheart, but they love you already whether you know this or not. You need them, Aurora. And they need you. Let them in, sweetheart. Let them in." Marietta said as she got up and became more and more transparent. "Wait! Mum! Wait! Don't leave! Please, I need you!" Aurora called out wildly, having a sick feeling that her mother wasn't coming back. At least, not any time soon.

When her mother disappeared, she found herself crying. Sobbing would've been a better word for it. She hid her face in her knees and cried and cried and cried, the tears mixing in with her skin as her face pressed down into her knees. "Aurora. Aurora." A smooth, almost cold voice was reaching through the confines of her mind and her eyes snapped open quickly, adjusting to the small space of light around her.

Standing over her was one Severus Snape. His face looked very much concerned and his eyes looked worried and slightly guarded. "Are you alright?" he asked, his low voice holding no malice, surprisingly. Aurora's eyes adjusted and she noted that the lamp on her nightstand table was on. Snape was standing over her still. "Are you alright?" he repeated.

Aurora got out of the bed, not noticing or caring that the white wife beater and the red shorts she was wearing were sticking to her body or that she had tear tracks on her face and her eyes were puffy and red. Her hair stuck to her forehead and she had a thin sheet of sweat all over her body. "I'm fine. Just had a bad dream is all." She said softly. Snape didn't look like he believed it. She suddenly felt a whooshing feeling in her head and she stumbled back, falling onto her bed. Her head hurt and just as quick as the feeling came, it was gone. And Snape was apologizing.

"I apologize." He said quietly as he rushed to make sure she was alright. "It's alright, Professor. I'm fine. I just had a small headache. Pardon my asking but why is it that you of all others in the world are in this room and not someone else?" Aurora asked, a small smile lingering on her ever angelic face. Snape sighed and straightened up. "I heard you screaming and crying while on my way down to the kitchen and took liberty upon myself to make sure you were not in any danger. Unless you might have preferred someone else…" he trailed off, tuning to the door.

Aurora shook her head. "No. Not at all." Aurora replied, smiling as she straightened out her bed. She glanced at the alarm clock that was next to the bed and saw that it read out 2:39a.m. She glanced at Snape. "Shouldn't you be in your home? It's very late, I notice." She said , her voice slightly detached as she thought more about the dream she had of her mother. "I would be…however, Dumbledore has requested that I regrettably stay here with Black until such a time as the next meeting. I daresay that staying in the same house as Potter and Black will not have a positive side to it at all."

Aurora tore her gaze away from the clock. "Why do you hate them so much? I understand that Sirius may have made your life torture in school but Harry? Does he anger you by simply existing? Or do you have this wild notion that just because Harry looks like his father, he actually is his father? I highly doubt that's true." Aurora began busying herself picking up around the room. Snape stared at her in shock, astonishment, anger even. But he knew she was right.

Still, "How would you know about that?" Aurora gave him a wry look and smiled slightly. "I just know things." Snape gazed at her in curiosity, wondering what secrets lay behind the smiling, care free, oddly wise girl he'd only known for two days. Yet, at the same time, he felt a connection for her. Not a romantic connection in the slightest but he felt the odd urge that he would need her in his life like he'd needed Lily. He had this strange feeling that he was going to be picking up a new best friend somewhere in the timeline of this war. Which was a bad thing. Why? He couldn't allow for her to get hurt because of his spying. Anything could happen and he didn't want it happening to Aurora.

She'd done all she could to be busy but still could not push her mother's plaguing words out of her head. You need them. They need you. Let them in. Aurora sighed as she moved away from the nightstand and toward the door. "I'm sorry to have awakened you, Professor. Perhaps rest is more than overdue. Go." She said, smiling at this. He shook his head and resumed his cold and castoff-ish behavior.

Aurora sighed and walked downstairs to the kitchen where a roaring fire was still going in the fireplace. There was no one in the kitchen and after snatching up a blanket from the living room, she climbed into a chair near the fireplace and pulled the black cashmere blanket over her, shivering at how wonderful it felt on her skin. Within 3 minutes, she was asleep, her head against the back of the chair, the fire giving off a soft warm glow on her face.

"She was lying, Albus. I know she was. Whatever dream she was having was no ordinary nightmare. It was haunting her, Albus. She was crying and she was shaking and she was sweating. And—" "Why do you care so much about this girl?" Albus interrupted. Snape could not think of anything to say in reply. Why _did_ he suddenly care for this girl?

"I do not know, Albus. But I will say this: something about her past is haunting her, hurting her. I pray you keep an eye on her to make sure she is not overcome." The slow malicious cold tone came back to Snape as he said his words. Albus stared at him in wonder, his eyes twinkling. Snape sighed and rolled his eyes. Did that man have no feelings at all? He got up and left out of the office.

Aurora woke up earlier than everyone else in the house the next morning. After showering and getting dressed, she busied herself making breakfast for everyone. She was unsure just how many people were staying in Grimmauld Place so she cooked as much as she could. She set down the plates of bacon, pitchers of pumpkin juice, bowls of oatmeal, stacks of pancakes, toast, sausage, eggs, and biscuits on the table and dusted off any and all crumbs off of her purple shirt. She set the table, surprised at the never-ending supply of plates, forks, spoons, knives, and cups that existed in the house and while doing so, everyone else began coming into the kitchen, the smell of breakfast awakening them.

Among the awake she noticed, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George, Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, Remus, Sirius, and others. Once everyone was inside, the majority of them were standing up against the wall or in the doorway with plates and cups in their hands. A buzz swept through the room, multiple conversations going at once until everyone went silent.

Aurora looked up from her plate and saw Snape in the doorway. She hopped off the counter and walked over to him. "Good morning, Professor. You must be hungry." She said before hugging him. If everyone wasn't shocked at seeing him they sure were shocked at what Aurora did. They all braced themselves for him to curse her…or kill her. But he didn't. Instead, he hugged her back and said, "Yes. Yes, I am." He said forcefully.

Had he just let a teenager hug him in front of all his enemies? What was in the water around here? Aurora pulled away from him and grabbed his hand, dragging him to the sink. "Wait right here." She said as she began washing a plate, cup, knife, fork, and spoon for him. The silence through the kitchen was suffocating as everyone watched Aurora bustle around the kitchen and to the table.

"Professor, you are so pale and sallow looking. We're going to have to give you a bit of everything so we can get some color back in your face." Aurora mused to herself, knowing that he heard her. She put pancakes, oatmeal, sausage, bacon, eggs, a half piece of toast, and a biscuit on his plate before handing it to him. He took it, almost as if he didn't know what to do with it. She poured him a huge glass of pumpkin juice and walked back over to him. "I'll hold this until you finish." She said.

He leaned against the counter and began eating, everyone in the entire kitchen watching him in anticipation. He ate the entire plate in less than 10 minutes. "Goodness, professor, you'd think you haven't eaten in Merlin knows when." He looked up at her, his mouth full with biscuit and bacon. "I haven't." he said. Truthfully, the last time he ate had been 3 days prior to him coming to Grimmauld Place. He'd been so busy with the Dark Lord and preparing for the new term. His plate was empty now. "Seconds?" Aurora asked, taking his plate back and handing him the glass of juice.

"No. I am quite full, thank you." He replied before taking a sip from the glass. "Did you enjoy it?" she asked. "You inquire far too much Ms. Winters and yes, I did." Aurora smiled and began washing his plate and later, his glass. "I'm glad you did, sir. And if I figure out you've skipped meals for 3 days again, things will not be looking good for you. But I don't think I'll have to go that far. Perhaps a plate delivered from those wonderful little house elves will do the trick." Snape looked at her like she was going insane. She reminded him very much of Lily. So much so that it scared him. Lily was nice to him, too even though no one else had been. The kitchen was still silent.

Aurora turned to face everyone. "Why are you all staring at him as if he's some foreign creature?" her serene voice asked. Everyone blinked up at her, not able to think of anything to say. "What wrong has he done to you? Do you honestly hate him simply because you don't think you can trust him?"

"He's a Death Eater! Why _should_ we trust him?" Ron fired out. Mrs. Weasley glared at him.

"_Why_ should you trust him? You should trust him because for 16 years he has been risking his life spying, passing information to Dumbledore just to keep every one of you alive. If it were not for him how else would you still be here? More than half of you might be dead now were it not for Severus Snape. So give him the trust he's given you. What is it that stops him from being human just like all of you? What right have you to hate him, to not trust him, to shun him? One person, anyone, tell me what this man has done to cause you to hate him so much." Aurora asked, her voice calm and cool but stern.

"Just existing, really. That's why." She heard Ron say. She turned her head to him, her eyes fixated on his. "And that is the same excuse Voldemort uses when he kills your friends, your families, muggleborns. That is the same excuse that true Death Eaters use before torturing and killing their victims. And right now, I would say that _you_ sound more like a Death Eater than anyone else in this room." Everyone, including Ron, looked stunned and shocked at what she was saying because truthfully, they all thought along the same lines as Ron when it came to Snape. But in Aurora's eyes, just because you could not trust a man gave you no reason to hate him.

"Sirius, when you were in school, what reason did you have for torturing him, making his life hell when you knew nothing about him?" Everyone's eyes turned to Sirius who looked stunned. "I-I never really had a reason. I just…_did_, I guess." He sputtered out. "Yes, and that is the same thought that Voldemort and his followers hold when they are killing and destroying all in their path. You are older now, Sirius. I would think that you would find a way to move past all this, get over whatever difference you had against him, be an adult and not a child. I would think all of you would do that, really." No one spoke, breathed, moved. Harry stood up and looked at Snape. "I'm sorry, Professor." He said.

Hermione stood up next. "I'm sorry, Professor."

Ginny followed. "I'm sorry, Professor."

The twins stood up. "We're sorry, Professor."

Mrs. Weasley and her husband followed suit. "So are we."

Next was Tonks. "Me, too."

"So am I."

"Me, too."

"I'm sorry."

"I apologize."

Everyone was apologizing to Snape and all were standing. A smile began to spread across Aurora's face but didn't quite go everywhere at once until Sirius stood up. "I apologize for what I've done to you in the past and the way I've acted toward you, Severus. I had no right." Everyone looked shocked at this. Sirius Black was not a man to apologize.

Snape nodded back at him and sipped at his pumpkin juice. "Thank you." Aurora said, trying to lighten the mood. Apparently, it worked because everyone resumed their conversations. "Professor, can you explain to Ron why crumpled butterfly wings work better in the Retrohypnosis potion than torn fly wings?" Hermione called out to Snape. He looked shocked at first then walked over to where Hermione was.

Aurora smiled to herself and pushed the buzzing away from her head. Everyone's thoughts seemed to have quieted now and Aurora's dormant ability was returning again. She was able to hear a room full of people as opposed to just one person now. Soon she'd be able to hear every person in Hogwarts. She thought to the whooshing feeling she'd just experienced and realized that it was just Snape reaching into her mind and trying to see what her dream had been about. She smiled to herself as she picked up everyone's dishes and began washing them.

~&~

"Thank you, Aurora, for what you said earlier. It has been a long time since someone has done what you did and for that I thank you." Snape said before he left after breakfast. People began departing soon after him, each one thanking Aurora for clearing their heads and making them see straight about things. The only people left were Harry, Ron, Hermione, the Weasleys, Tonks, Lupin, Aurora, and Sirius.

That night, Tonks and Lupin were talking about something in a corner. Harry and Ron were nowhere to be found. Hermione and Ginny were helping each other with they're summer homework. Sirius was reading a book and the rest of the Weasleys were scattered around the house. Aurora decided to go shower then head to bed. On her way to her room, she heard the heated voices of Harry and Ron on the 3rd floor in the same room she'd met them in. Her curiosity got the best of her and her feet found their way to that door.

"How can you like her, Harry? She defended Snape!" Ron yelled. "So? How is that a bad thing? Just because you hate him doesn't mean the rest of us have to. Snape is human, you know." Aurora heard Ron growl and a loud thud as, she guessed, something feel to the floor. "Ron, calm down. What the hell is your problem? What do you have against her?" she heard Harry say, trying not to yell anymore. But Ron wasn't really picking up on this.

"Dammit, Harry, it seems like I'm the only one who notices something's off about her. She's not human, I'm sure of it. How in the world would she know that the last time Snape ate was _3 days ago_? How would she know that Sirius bullied him in school? How would she know he was spy for You-Know-Who when the _rest_ of us didn't? Let's face facts, Harry. Snape isn't exactly Mr. Sit-Around-A-Campfire-And-Share-My-Feelings." Ron ranted.

"Oooh, so just because she knows things that the _ORDER_ probably knows, she's not human? God, Ron, it's not that big of a deal. You're making a mole hill out of an ant pile. I like her and one day I'll ask her out if she likes me too and I won't give a damn what you have to say about it!" Harry yelled angrily. He was agitated from even having this discussion, Aurora noted.

"How can you like her when you know nothing about her? All you know is that her mother died when she was a year old and her father died before she was born. You know nothing else about her!" Ron shouted. She heard a sigh, presumably Harry. "Look, Ron, I don't care. I'm going to learn more about her and I'm going to like her no matter what you say. So take that to bed with you. Goodnight." Aurora heard footsteps coming toward the door and quickly raced up the stairs to the 5th floor where her bedroom was.

She refused to think about the argument until she got out of the shower and was in the bed. Harry Potter liked her. And was arguing about it against his best friend who thought she was odd and not even human. But to Harry it didn't matter. He liked her. But Aurora could not say that she returned the feeling. She'd hardly seen him around ever since the day before when she'd first arrived.

But from what she'd seen of him, he was a little bit taller than her and had intensive emerald green eyes and jet black hair that was messy everywhere. He was slightly muscular but was also kind of skinny. He didn't act like the celebrity everyone made him look like. He wasn't spoiled and he didn't act like he was the best thing since the broomstick was invented. No. He was just normal, just like everyone else.

None of these were things she minded. In fact, they were actually things she liked about him. But she hardly knew him enough to say that she liked him. But the thing that shocked her the most was that she wanted to know him more. "Oh, mother. What am I getting myself into this time?" Aurora mumbled to herself before falling into a deep dreamless sleep.


End file.
